Opinion

Paying tribute to our armed forces

David Bossie President, Citizens United
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On Saturday, the nation will celebrate the 51st Armed Forces Day. America’s all-volunteer military has proven time and again to be America’s best asset. Just a few weeks ago, the skills of the Navy SEALs were on full display when they successfully killed Osama bin Laden during a daring raid inside the borders of Pakistan. Without the combined armed forces of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard, our freedoms would be in jeopardy from enemies who want to do harm to our homeland, as well as those of our allies around the world.

Six years ago our soldiers waged a heroic battle during the Iraq War to capture the city of Fallujah. Citizens United Productions’ film “Perfect Valor,” a vivid war documentary narrated by Senator Fred Thompson, tells the true story of the soldiers who fought in the Battle of Fallujah. When you watch the documentary, you will see why America has the best military in the world. The men and women featured in “Perfect Valor” are this generation’s “Band of Brothers” and their stories vividly illustrate the courage our men and women in uniform display on the battlefield each and every day.

As our soldiers serve, they are not the only ones sacrificing. They leave their families at home to bear the burden and the worry. Many in our military ranks have served multiple tours overseas. They are often deployed during holidays, birthdays, and seminal moments during their families’ lives. The stress on the families with sons, daughters, husbands, and wives serving in Iraq or Afghanistan must be overwhelming. That is why our support is so crucial. Our soldiers and their families know that they’re serving for something bigger than themselves. They know that they are not only protecting us all from harm; they are out there fighting for our very way of life, and it is important for them to know how much we appreciate it.

That’s why it sends a crawl up my spine when I hear left-wing radicals accuse our soldiers of war crimes. The professionalism displayed by our men and women in uniform cannot be matched by any other nation on the planet. The United States military goes to great lengths, many times at great risk to their own well-being, not to harm innocent civilians and to respect the customs of the very people trying to kill them. Liberals live in an alternate universe where the “community of nations” sits around a campfire and sings Kumbaya. Unfortunately, America faces enemies that strive to do us harm each and every day.

It is the soldier on the front lines who protect us — with dignity and valor. Representative Allen West (R-FL) often reminds us of the 82nd Airborne Division motto: “Guardians of America’s honor.” It truly is an honor to have these brave men and women standing on the frontlines representing freedom.

The United States Military is an awesome force that has freed many people from tyranny, and kept the free world safe from communism, fascism, and other oppressive regimes. The soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen who make up our armed forces are serving their country 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Without their great sacrifices, America would not be the free nation that it is today.

Happy Armed Forces Day to all who wear the uniform. May God bless each and every one of you.

David N. Bossie is the president of Citizens United and Citizens United Productions, and the executive producer of “America at Risk.”